Advanced and AP Considerations

The following criteria are considered when recommending students for advanced or AP classes:

            1.         Student record:

                        -           PSAT scores of 80th percentile or above

                        -           grade averages of A or B in humanities classes

                        -           current or past success in advanced or AP Social Studies and

                                    English classes

2.                  Professional Staff recommendation is based on the above criteria.

Note:  Students may take the core Social Studies courses (12^th grade Economics and 12^th grade United States Government) during summer school prior to the year in which they would regularly take that course.  (Note:  Course availability is contingent upon having enough students register to offer the  course.)  These can be “get ahead” courses for students who need to lighten their course load or who want to take electives that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to take.  

Grade 10

US History to 1877 is a required course for sophomores.  Students study the historic development of American ideals and institutions from the Age of Exploration to 1877.  The place of the United States in the global community is traced through U. S. political and economic development with emphasis given to major intellectual and cultural trends and movements.  Geography and Alabama history are incorporated in context.  The continued development of technology skills, analytical skills, writing skills and research skills are all integral parts of this course. 

 AMERICAN STUDIES 10 (Year)

American Studies is a blended English and US History course for 10^th grade students that emphasizes the connections between literature, culture, and history. Students who take Humanities will have the opportunity to study early American history simultaneously with literature from the period. The connectivity between the two disciplines will emphasize and reinforce the connectivity of concepts that are taught in isolation in a regular tenth grade US history and English course. This class creates a learning experience that adds depth and diversity to the students’ experience. This course will be taught as a double period and will be taken in lieu of regular 10^th grade history and 10^th grade English. Humanities will count as a two credit course, and will meet the 10^th grade requirements for US history and English.

UNITED STATES HISTORY TO 1877- Advanced (Year)

Grade 10

Grade Requirement for Recommendation:

·         Currently enrolled in Advanced World History – Minimum grade of 85 at the end of 1^st semester.

·         Currently enrolled in Regular World History – Minimum grade of 90 at the end of first semester.

Process for Parent Placement:  Students desiring to parent place into Advanced History 10 must schedule a required meeting with the social studies department chair, an advanced teacher, the students and the parent in order to parent place.  All meetings for parent placement should take place prior to the end of the school year. 

Advanced US History to 1877 may be substituted for United States History to 1877 by sophomores desiring a more in-depth study of the material.  This course makes more extensive use of supplemental readings and interpretation of primary documents than in the regular course; therefore, students need high level reading and writing skills.  The course is designed to offer students the opportunity to utilize analytical skills and factual knowledge to enhance their writing and rhetorical skills.  Students intending to take (or considering taking) AP U. S. History as juniors should take this course as sophomores. 

UNITED STATES HISTORY 1877 TO THE PRESENT (Year)

Grade 11

Prerequisite: US History to 1877

US History 1877 to Present is a required course for juniors.  It is a survey of American political, economic, and cultural trends from 1877 to the present.  Emphasis is given to major historical trends such as:  industrialization, progressive political movements, growth of economic influence, social and cultural development, and America’s role in a global setting.  The course strives to help students develop critical thinking skills through the analysis of challenges faced by the U.S. in both foreign and domestic policies.  Students also develop research and writing skills through periodic research projects. 

 ADVANCED PLACEMENT U.S. HISTORY 11 (Year)

Grade 11

Prerequisite: US History to 1877

Requirement: Teacher Recommendation

AP US History 11 is a college-level course which may be substituted by juniors for United States History 1877 to the Present.  AP U. S. History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in U.S. history.  Emphasis is placed on the significance of the political, economic, social, and intellectual life of the United States in contemporary times.  The AP course is distinguished from the regular course by additional supplemental reading, interpretation of primary sources, further development of writing skills and classroom discussion.  In the Spring, students are expected to attend study sessions in preparation for the Advanced Placement exam, which is administered in May. 

Grade 12

Prerequisite: US History 1877 to Present

Economics is a required course for seniors and serves as an introduction to economic theories and their applications in the “real world.”  The primary focus is on the U. S. economic system – capitalism.  Students also gain practical understandings and skills in consumer economics through class activities and projects.  American Government is also a required course for seniors and consists of a survey of the U. S. political system, focusing on the background, institutions and processes of our governmental system.  Central to this course is a study of the Constitution, the branches of government, political party practices and elections, and civil rights.  Both courses focus on some comparative studies; both help students develop critical thinking skills and involve activities and projects which encourage personal competencies and civic efficacy.

 ADVANCED PLACEMENT MICROECONOMICS (Semester)

Grade 12

Prerequisite: US History 1877 to Present

Corequisite: AP Government

Requirement: Teacher Recommendation

AP Microeconomics is a college-level course for seniors which may be substituted for regular level Economics.   The purpose of AP Microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the economics system.  Attention is given at the beginning of the course to a study of basic economic concepts, with a special focus on the workings of demand and supply forces.  Emphasis is also placed on the study of product and factor markets, of the business firm, and of the role of government and of the private sector in promoting greater efficiency in the economy.  An AP exam is administered in May. 

 ADVANCED PLACEMENT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: US (Semester)

Grade 12

Prerequisite: US History 1877 to Present

Corequisite: AP Microeconomics

Requirement: Teacher Recommendation

 AP Government is a college-level course for seniors that may be substituted for United States Government and is designed to give students a critical perspective on politics and government in the United States.  This course involves both the study of general concepts and the analysis of primary sources.  The six main topics of concentration are the constitutional underpinnings of American government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interest groups and mass media, institutions of national government, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties.  The AP course is distinguished from the regular course by the increased opportunity for supplemental reading, interpretation of primary sources, development of writing skills, and more intensive and extensive classroom discussion.  In the spring students are expected to attend study sessions in preparation for the Advanced Placement exam administered in May.